Yu Xia was adding water to her teacup when she heard this and suddenly stopped: "You can't just taste longan; you have to soak it in water to get the benefits."
She scooped a spoonful of chicken soup into Jiang Jianhua's bowl, saying, "Drink more of this. Dr. Zhang said chicken soup is the best for the fetus."
Suddenly, the sound of a car engine came from outside the courtyard gate. Three green jeeps stopped in the snow, and several people wearing Zhongshan suits got out, with "Disciplinary Inspection Committee" badges pinned to their chests.
The middle-aged man at the head of the group lifted the curtain, and a blast of cold air, mixed with snowflakes, rushed in: "Who is Fu Yucheng's family member?"
Yun Tangyin's heart skipped a beat, and her clenched hand suddenly tightened: "I am his lover, is there something you need?"
“We received a report that Fu Yucheng misappropriated flood control materials for personal gain during the flood relief efforts in Jiangbei.”
The middle-aged man took out his notebook, the pen scratching harshly on the paper. “There are witnesses who saw him loading blankets and medicine into a truck and taking them all home.”
"Impossible!" Yun Tangyin stood up abruptly, her cotton shoes leaving a half-foot mark on the ground. "Before leaving, Acheng said he would distribute all the relief supplies issued by the military region to the soldiers on the dike. How could he possibly misappropriate the supplies?"
Fu Yuanshan suddenly slammed the axe against the wall, making a dull thud on the ground: "Do you have any evidence? You're trying to slander me with nothing but empty words?"
The middle-aged man closed his notebook, his eyes turning icy: "The evidence is being verified, but Fu Yucheng cannot go home for the time being; he has to undergo investigation."
He glanced at the kang (a heated brick bed), his gaze landing on the pile of baby supplies. "These things, I'm afraid they were traded for flood control supplies, right?"
Jiang Jianhua suddenly slammed the longevity lock on the table, the lock clanging against the teacup: "Look carefully! This is silverware made by the Fu family themselves. The clothes made by the clothing factory all have receipts. You dare to slander soldiers? I'll report you to the military region!"
Song Yushuang moved closer to the kang table, the hem of her cotton-padded jacket brushing against the peanut plate: "My son has distinguished himself in the military, and instead of investigating corruption, you come here to bully his family?"
The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he called out to the door, "Xiao Zhou, go and get the letter of complaint."
The letter of complaint, written in crooked handwriting, stated that Fu Yucheng "abused his position to transport twenty quilts and fifty boxes of anti-inflammatory drugs to his home, intending to resell them at a high price."
Yun Tangyin looked at the date; it was the day Fu Yucheng had asked Xiao Chen to deliver the radio.
"That day, they delivered a radio and baby supplies!" Yun Tangyin suddenly remembered something, ran to the kitchen, and came back holding up Xiao Chen's delivery slip. "This is the slip signed by the guard. It clearly states that there were no blankets or medicines at all!"
Fu Yuanshan suddenly walked towards the door: "I'm going to find Xiao Chen. He went to the warehouse with me that day and saw with his own eyes what was being stored there."
"No need to look anymore." Xiao Chen rushed into the yard through the snow, ice crystals falling from his cotton hat. "I just came back from the military region. Staff Officer Zhang said that the person who reported me was Old Wang from the logistics department. He was arrested by Brother Fu a while ago for reselling flood control sacks. This is retaliation!"
The middle-aged man's hand, which was holding the letter of complaint, suddenly tightened, and the corner of the paper crumpled: "We will re-verify it."
He took two steps back towards the door, saying, "If the situation is true, I will issue a public apology."
"We must apologize!" Jiang Jianhua stood up, clutching his stomach. "Not only do we have to apologize, but we also have to give Acheng credit! He jumped into the icy water on the dam to plug the leak and almost didn't make it back up, and you all, instead, listened to the slander of petty people!"
Yun Tangyin suddenly remembered the telegram sent by Fu Yucheng, which said, "The dike has been reinforced, don't worry." It turned out that behind those six short words were days and nights spent soaking in icy water.
She touched the brass whistle in her pocket, then suddenly blew it. The crisp sound of the whistle hit the snow and startled a flock of sparrows.
“Acheng said this whistle can travel three miles.” She looked at the snow outside the window, her eyes suddenly reddening. “When he comes back, I want to tell him in person that he is a hero.”
Song Yushuang added a piece of coal to the stove, and the flames shot up: "Yes, when Acheng comes back, Mom will reward him too."
Yu Xia suddenly remembered something, ran into the house, and came back holding a newspaper: "Look! The county newspaper even published it. Acheng led people to plug the seepage and saved three villages downstream. The headline reads 'Fu Yucheng: The Iron Backbone of the Dike'!"
Fu Yuanshan stuck the newspaper to the wall, the paste was uneven, and the corners curled up, which he then smoothed out: "This is my brother, unlike some people who only know how to use dirty tricks behind people's backs."
Jiang Jianhua touched her belly and smiled: "When the baby is born, I will tell him that he has an uncle who is a hero in the fight against floods, and he is the pride of our Fu family."
Yun Tangyin scooped a spoonful of chicken soup into the thermos on the stove. It was specially saved for Fu Yucheng that morning: "The chicken soup will still be hot when he comes back."
She suddenly remembered what Fu Yucheng had said: "After the baby is born, I will come back and stay with you every day," and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.
The snow started falling again, accumulating into a thin layer on the windowsill.
The chicken soup inside was still bubbling, its aroma mingling with the sweetness of longan, warming one's heart.
Yun Tangyin knew that no matter how many storms there were, as long as this family's hearts were together, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome.
The next morning, the military region's commendation order was delivered to the compound. The certificate, wrapped in red silk, read, "Comrade Fu Yucheng, First-Class Merit for Flood Relief and Disaster Relief."
Xiao Chen delivered it on his bicycle, with Fu Yucheng's telegram in the basket: "Don't believe the rumors, I'll be back in three days."
Yun Tangyin pasted the certificate on the wall, directly opposite the pair of silver longevity locks.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on the certificate, like the medals on Fu Yucheng's shoulders.
Fu Yuanshan added firewood to the stove, the flames licking the bottom of the pot: "When Acheng comes back, I'll go with him to the supply and marketing cooperative, get him a new piece of cloth, and make him a new military uniform. He deserves this first-class merit."
"We also need to buy a bottle of good wine," Jiang Jianhua said with a smile. "I heard that they drink good wine at the celebration banquet, so let's make it up to him at home."
Song Yushuang was embroidering tiger-head shoes on the kang (a heated brick bed), her stitches denser than usual: "I'll make a new pair of socks for Acheng too, I guarantee he'll stay warm and won't miss home while he's in the army."
Yu Xia filled the jars with hawthorn jam, the glass jars were neatly arranged on the table: "We need to save two jars of this jam for Acheng. He likes sour things and says that sourness can refresh him."
Yun Tangyin touched Fu Yucheng's notebook. On the last page, there was a crookedly drawn house with the words "Wait for me to come back" written next to it.
"Yinyin, come and see if this quilt cover is pretty!" Yu Xia came in holding a piece of red silk with gold thread, embroidered with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns. "It's a new quilt from the supply and marketing cooperative. I was thinking of making a new quilt to match his first-class merit award."
Yun Tangyin reached out and touched it; the silk was as smooth as a stream: "It's so beautiful."
Jiang Jianhua leaned closer, her belly already showing a bit, "This is the honor of our Fu family, so it deserves the best."
Fu Yuanshan was squatting in the yard chopping firewood when he heard this and suddenly coughed twice, his ears turning as red as if they had been roasted by charcoal.
He swung his axe more vigorously, chopping the firewood neatly and stacking it in the corner like a small mountain.
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